The present disclosure is generally related to loading map tiles for viewing in a map application of a mobile device, and more specifically to loading the tiles in anticipation of a particular route.
Many mobile devices (e.g., a smartphone) have a map application that allows a user to view different geographical areas for certain purposes, such as to navigate roads in a certain area, to find out traffic conditions on certain roads, or to find locations of certain stores. A user navigates within the map application to see different areas to zoom out or zoom in to see the map at different resolutions. A user may navigate the map in various ways, such as by using a touch screen. Typically, the mobile device does not store the map, but instead requests map tiles from a server. The requested map tiles would correspond to the geographic area that the user has selected.
When a user is traveling to a particular destination, e.g., on a road trip, the user may often want to use the map feature. For instance, the user may use the map to determine where to turn next to get to the destination. The might also want to find out information about an exit, e.g., if there is a gas station there or type of restaurants. Or, a user may become lost, and need to use the map to correct course to the destination. However, to do so, the user currently navigates the map application to the desired geographic area to retrieve the desired map tiles from the server. Obtaining map tiles in such a way can encounter delay, connectivity problems, and run down battery life.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide methods and system for obtaining desired map tiles from a map server in a more reliable and efficient manner.